Some marine vessels use a powered anchor drum winch to lower and then retrieve their anchor. The anchor is secured to the vessel by the rode. The rode may consist of all chain, all rope, or a combination of rope and chain. Such anchor drum winches are typically mounted in the vessel's anchor well. The rode is wound onto the drum of the winch avoiding the necessity to store the rode in the anchor well. This prevents tangling of the rode, negates the need to tie off the anchor rode and makes lowering and retrieval of the anchor very easy.
A disadvantage of such powered anchor drum winches is the inability to allow the anchor to free fall. The present invention seeks to address this disadvantage.
The discussion of the background to the invention herein is included to explain the context of the invention. This is not to be taken as an admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of this application.